Saturday, October 22, 2011

Linkage

It's only been TWO YEARS between posts (Counting? Who's counting?) but there's new stuff up at SN1's blog. Buck is using his blog as a medium for publishing some of his course work at the Army Command & General Staff College... and it's some interesting stuff. Really. Here's an excerpt from his post on leadership:

Leaders lead from the front of the organization. Physically, you must get "eyes-on" with the majority of your troops on a regular basis. Leadership by emails, orders from behind the desk or memos from "on-high" accomplish nothing, but create needless space between you and your organization. Set the example in all aspects of your job. Know your "core business" better than anyone else. Get to know your people and their workspaces. Know your place in the "big picture" and be able to explain it to anyone. Understand not only the mission of your unit, but how your people make that mission happen, what tools they use and what systems or other units they depend on to make the mission happen. Know all these things and ensure your people and processes are all geared toward accomplishing the units’ mission. Set clear expectations for everyone’s performance...especially yours!

Buck mentions one of my pet peeves in civilian life: the manager who managed via e-mail and memo. I was fortunate not to have run into any of these guys, which is to say report to one, during my civilian career. But I sure knew a lot of the asshats. I also knew more than my share of managers, as opposed to leaders. That's one of the best things about the military: you learn the difference between the two.

4 comments:

I'm pretty old. Old enough that General Patton was my hero when I was a teen.

Some of his leadership techniques are pure art.

Not many people know that Patton had a pilots license. Although he didn't use it during WW2, he did use a private aircraft.

The General was never seen returning from the front. He was always seen going to the front.

Once at the front he usually awarded medals and received briefings. He tried to be seen by all. He required all officers below him to do the same. They had to go to the front to not be thought of as hiding in the rear.

Patton then had a small airplane (him and his pilot) that he would fly to the rear in, so no one would see him. He often had the pilot fly along the front to see if the briefings matched the reality.

"When in doubt - attack!"

General Patton got a purple heart in WW1 when he was shot in the ass while hiding in a foxhole. Thus he always advised his troops to attack the enemy rather than dig foxholes.

If you are attacking through artillery, then they can't get a fix on you.

"I don't want to get any reports from the front that you are holding your position. Gentlemen, we aren't holding onto anything except the enemy's nose, while we kick him in the balls."

Dad was an Artillery guy. So was his dad in WWII. I saw my guys most every single day. We in the navy had a term for it. Quarters. I missed that parade when I was on watch from 0400 to 0800 or after. There is a time when all gets revealed. I began a 28 year thing with quarters every morning and ended it the same way. There were times when muster was held well before dawn and half of us would up anchor and proceed on our way leaving the other half to sleep for an extra hour. Still, they were with us.